Steak, Cake Or Ice Cream?
by Kuroi Neko-kun
Summary: [FINAL CHAPTER UP] What happens when three cute guys tell the same girl they like her? And she happens to like all three of them? What will she do? R&R, minna-san!
1. Part 1

STEAK, CAKE OR ICE CREAM?

**Part 1: Rukawa, Sendoh and Mitsui… The beginnings.**

_'Another school day…'_ A certain spike head sighed as he faced his dreaded daily task. "I hate school…" He muttered as he entered the old, dilapidated building of Ryonan High. As he walked down the halls, a couple of girls who spotted him giggled and started talking about him in hushed voices. He just plastered his usual smile and smiled at them before walking away to his locker. After his usual checking of what to bring to class, he entered homeroom.

"Sendoh… you're early? That's unusual… What did you do? Get Big Ben as your alarm clock?" Koshino, his very-annoying-ass-at-times best pal, said with scorn in his voice.

"Nice to see you too this lovely morning, Koshino…" Sendoh smiled as he took the table beside Koshino," and what makes you more viler than ten thousand cobras?" Koshino glared at the spike head.

"Nothing… except for today's practice…" he muttered as he showed Sendoh the notice that their coach had sent them. Sendoh took it and read it.

"Hmm… _'Today's practice will be shared with Ryonan High's girls basketball team… don't worry, it'll only be for today…Signed, Taoka-sensei.'_ Hey!! There's gonna be girls at the practice?! How come I wasn't notified??" Sendoh exclaimed, shocked that the captain was not told about the situation. But his perverted brain was pounding, _'girls! Girls! Girls!'_

"Shut up, porn-for-brains! This isn't a chance for you to ogle at girls during practice…Especially when they manage to make it to Inter High's Girls Basketball Championship!" Koshino hissed at him. 

"They did?" Sendoh gave him a look of disbelief," you're joking, right?"

"No, he's not…" came another voice. The both of them looked up to see a golden brown haired girl, her amber eyes glaring at them. 

"Nayami-san, ohaiyo," Sendoh flashed his 75-watt smile at her," and just what can I do for you this morning?" Koshino sighed.

"How about getting your head out of the gutter?" she smiled coldly at him," and what's wrong with my girls getting in Inter High?"

"Nothing… just unbelievable," his smile grew broader. Yet again, this girl had beaten him at something and Sendoh was trying to be as sportsmanly as possible by managing his smile till his face cracks.

"Anyway, congratulations on your victory, Nayami-san…" he held out his hand for a shake. Nayami stared at it for a few seconds before slowly shaking it.

"Arigatou… Tonikaku, it's not like you guys did badly to win yours. If only those darn Shohoku guys…" Nayami started shaking her fists.

"So you were at the game?" Koshino asked, curious.

"Um… duh?" She raised her eyebrows at the fiery-tempered boy, who blushed at his stupidity.

"Aha! So you DID come. You said you'd rather watch your toenails grow!" Sendoh smirked at her. Nayami felt her cheeks turned red in embarrassment as she gave her memory a knockout punch.

"I-I had to. The girls forced me. Well, half of them are part of the 'We love Sendoh' fan club…"

"Which you are president…" Sendoh went, nonchalantly.

"YOU WISH!! I'd rather die than to go flurrying around for your autograph!" At that, she turned her heels and went to her seat. Sendoh gave a sigh.

"Why do you always piss her off, Sendoh? I know you guys were junior high rivals but there's no need to get to extremes…" Koshino folded his arms. Sendoh just shrugged at him and smiled before turning to the front. 

_'Why do I always do this to her?'_ he thought as he watched Nayami taking out her Japanese Textbook and started reading.

"Hayaku!! We're going to be late for practice~!" One of the girls whined. The girls were getting ready for their 'special' basketball practice. 

"Sou yo… we'll miss Sendoh-san if we're slow…" went another girl, already at the door.

"Eh? So that's the reason you girls are early," Nayami went as she slammed her locker shut.

"Demo Captain…"

"This practice is for us to re-train because Inter High is coming. I got the court today not because I want you girls to ogle at Sendoh. Understood?" Nayami crossed her arms.

"Hai," they answered half-heartedly.

"Mattaku, I wonder what their priorities are…" the captain muttered as she went to the court where all eyes turned to her.

"Nayami-san, I need to talk to you for a while," Sendoh smiled at her.

"Nani?" Nayami adjusted her thick wristbands.

"The coaches gave us the decision to do our own practices. I think we should practice together…"

"Iya," Nayami shot her answer.

"Nayami-san… It's a learning experience," he reasoned.

"Yes, for you to learn more about the girl's anatomy… No, Sendoh. This is a practice, not a flirting zone," she turned, only to see her girls taking, laughing and joking with the boys. She blinked.

"Look's like they made a decision for you… Come on, let's start basics," Sendoh winked at her. Her face contorted to an angry one.

"So, you should concentrate more before shooting… like that," Nayami shot the ball into the hoop," your form's okay Hikoichi just concentrate. You let your mind wander too much." 

"Arigatou, Nayami-san…" Hikoichi went as he fetched the ball and started shooting through the hoop.

"Nayami-san… you hogged the cute boy too much," went a girl as she approached her," you always hog the cute ones." She glanced at Sendoh.

"Nanda to?! Yumi, get back to practice!!" she shouted, trying to hide her blushing face.

"Open you arms wider, Aya!" Nayami shouted, watching her own teammate on defense. "Mitsuki, use your body! Put more muscle into that block! Chiharu, don't be hasty! Watch your opponent!"

"You sound like a coach, Nayami-san," Koshino pointed out as he passed the ball to her," play like a captain."

"I can only do that if I had a team, Koshino-kun," she passed the ball back to him, making him slightly stumble. It was a strong pass.

"Then, what about a one-on-one?" Sendoh added, grabbing the ball from Koshino," just like old times." Nayami smirked.

"Just like old times, huh? Okay, let's just see how much like old times you are, Sendoh."

"Sugoi! They're going to have one-on-one match! Yo check-u ya!" Hikoichi shouted in excitement. Some of the girls giggled at his actions. Hikoichi blushed at this.

Sendoh took a deep breath before dribbling the ball casually in one hand. Nayami smirked at him. Her body crouched to a defensive stance, her arms open and ready for his attack.

"Yosh, ikuzo!" Dribbling from one hand to the other from under his legs, Sendoh used a feint to fool Nayami. But she quickly saw through the fake move and kept tight on him. 

"You're tougher than I thought…" Sendoh went, smiling at her. 

"I'm still as tough as I used to be Sendoh-san," she smirked. Suddenly, she smacked the ball away from his hand, much to everyone's surprise. She caught it with the other hand and made a jump shot from her position. It went in. The girls cheered.

"That was unexpected," Sendoh commented, bringing the ball back to the starting point.

"You're distracted, Sendoh. Be serious if you want to play with me," the girl's captain gave him a serious look. Sendoh's smile faded, giving her the same look she had on her face. He nodded.

"Got it," his body swiftly moved to the left, then right, catching Nayami off guard. The next second, the sound of the ball dunked into the hoop was echoed through the court.

"You got my point, Sendoh-san. Now, let's play the real game. First person to reach ten points, wins," she announced. There was sudden uproar of murmurs.

"Okay, then. Let's roll!" Sendoh passed her the ball. Without wasting any time, Nayami swiftly dribbled towards the hoop. Sendoh was tight on defense but using a simple turnaround, she shot. It went in.

"One-Zero," she smirked at him. 

It was an intense match between the two as the score grew to nine-seven… Sendoh was currently leading.

_'I have to catch up. That means…'_ Nayami smiled at her thought. "Matte kudasai," she held up he hand," I have to do something." 

"Okay, what is it?" At that, she unlatched her wristbands and dropped it to the floor. It fell with a thud, shocking everyone.

"Nani?!" Koshino hissed.

"It's wrist weights…" Mitsuki whispered, "she took it off during the Kainandai Girls match. It was the finals… she wanted to beat them bad. But being Kainan…"

"They never lose," Koshino continued from her line. Mitsuki nodded, watching Nayami take off her ankle weights as well.

"This means she's obsessed with winning…"

"Huh?"

"When coach picked her up, she was jumping across buildings, running away from gang members. Coach told her to stop wasting her talent. The club started then."

"I knew Sendoh and her were rivals… but…"

"There were lots of junior high gang cases, remember? Sendoh was involved in one of those gangs during junior high. Sadly, his rival turned out to be his own friend, Nayami… but both of them came out from the gangs for individual reasons. But now, they turn out to be… well, the same reason."

"Sou da… I didn't know Sendoh was… how did you…?"

"Let's just say, I knew the both of them far beyond your time…" Mitsuki smiled.

"So, you've been toying, huh?" Sendoh pointed to the weights. Nayami smirked.

"I wasn't called the Butterfly for nothing, Sendoh," she muttered, which only Sendoh heard.

"You're a beautiful butterfly, Nayami-san," Sendoh winked at her, making her blush.

"Urusai… let's play," she passed the ball to him, ignoring his comment. He dribbled the ball slowly, thinking of a plan to evade the now very fast, very alert girl… opponent in front of him.

_'Left or right… shoot or dunk…'_ Nayami thought, her eyes not leaving Sendoh's. He winked at her again, making her blush harder. Using this distraction Sendoh passed her and dunked. Everyone cheered. Nayami turned to him in disbelief.

"Great game," he held out his hand to shake. Nayami blinked at him, her mind racing from the split second he winked. Why didn't she move? She mechanically shook his hand.

"Hai…" she muttered," great game…"

"Nayami-san, daijobou ka?" Sendoh asked, noticing her dazed expression. She shook her head.

"Yeah… gomen, what time is it?" 

"Huh?" Sendoh checked the large clock behind her," 5.45… why?"

"Oh crap! I have to go… I'm going to be late!" She ran towards the changing room.

"What was that about?" Sendoh asked, particularly to no one but Mitsuki answered.

"It's a Friday night… I say she's got a date."

"With who?" he stared at her. Mitsuki shrugged, not knowing the answer.

Nayami took a quick shower, dried herself and took out a violet dress. She stared at it for a while before putting it on her undergarments and wearing the dress. She brushed her hair, put on light make-up and wore her black pumps. Satisfied with herself, she dumped all her things in her locker. School was open the next day, so she could pick them up tomorrow. She checked the clock again. It read 6.15… 

"I'm late!!" She ran out of the changing room.

"Nayami-san?" Sendoh muttered, watching something reddish run through the court. From his view, she was gorgeous. Her hair, which was usually tied up in an awful ponytail, was now flying carelessly in the wind. The dress suited her and the light make-up was perfect to hold everything together.

_'Now to find out who she's going out with…'_ he passed the ball to some anonymous player and ran out of the court, after Nayami. He caught up with her as she was outside the school gate, searching for a cab.

"Nayami-san…" he called out from behind her. She turned.

"Sendoh… what are you doing here? You've got practice…"

"You're all fancy… Where are you going?"

"…Meeting a friend of mine… It's none of your business, Sendoh-san," She answered, curtly, her eyes on the road. 

"What's the hurry?"

"…" Nayami bit her lip as she turned to face the Ryonan captain. Her amber eyes stared into his blue eyes. She was trying to read his thoughts. "What is it to you, Sendoh-san?" She asked, her voice soft.

"I-I…" He stuttered, much to Nayami's surprise. _'What is it? What do I tell her? Why is my heart beating so fast?'_ Sendoh's thoughts were brought to a halt when a cab stopped, screeching in front of them. A boy with familiar black messy hair and fox eyes came out of it.

"Rukawa?" Sendoh muttered in disbelief. He was ignored as the Shohoku boy went up to Nayami. 

"Nayami-san… why were you late?" he asked, suddenly turning to Sendoh, with a glower. Something clicked in Sendoh's head then.

"You're going out with him?" Sendoh asked, slightly shocked, slightly outraged. Nayami looked away from him.

"Rukawa-kun, can you wait in the cab? I need to talk to Sendoh-san," she said, her eyes not leaving the floor.

"Hai," Rukawa obeyed her, his eyes burning through Sendoh as he went into the cab.

"Sendoh-san…"

"How long are you guys together?" he asked, suddenly. Nayami felt the blood rush to her face.

"We're not together… as in a relationship. Sendoh, please understand, we're friends… like the both of us," it was then she looked up to him, her eyes gleaming with hope, searching for his understanding. Sendoh couldn't ignore his fury… but he couldn't ignore her pleas either. 

"Don't worry… you're free to make your own choices, Nayami-san… I'm sorry for my misinterpretation," he smiled at her. She smiled back, resisting the urge to hug him in front of Rukawa. 

"Go, the cab fare isn't going to be cheap…" he cocked his head to the cab.

"H-hai… Sendoh-san, arigatou," she went as she ran into the cab. Sendoh watched it leave with a heavy heart.

"Nayami-san… daijobou ka?" Rukawa asked, his eyes showing a glint of concern. The girl in question was staring off to space, poking at her vegetables. Rukawa placed his hand on hers. "Nayami-san…"

"Huh? What? Oh… Rukawa-kun, gomen… I was thinking about things," she said, giving him a faltering smile.

"It's Sendoh… isn't it?" he managed out of his mouth. Nayami just stared at him, his mysterious blue eyes penetrating through her.

"I can't lie to you, huh? Yes, it is Sendoh-san… he's been acting different lately," she pointed out. 

"How different?"

"Like he finally cared about me. When I entered Ryonan, he was… cold. He knew I was there but he was cold. He acted like I wasn't there," her lip quivered slightly. Rukawa's hand tightened on hers. She glanced at it and then to him. "Now…" She found herself saying," he's looking my way… as a friend… and, finally…" the silence came then, Nayami didn't know whether to continue or…

"When you met him during those times in junior high, do you have a crush on him?" Rukawa asked, breaking the silence. Nayami felt her cheeks become very warm, her eyes not daring to look at Rukawa.

"A bit… but I never thought about it. It was admiration, Rukawa-kun… not blossoming to forbidden love," she bit her lip. 

"Sou ka?" his hand cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. How she wanted to look away from those chaste eyes…

"Rukawa-kun… I know… that you have feelings for me but…"  

"Is he the reason that you turned me down?"

"I didn't turn you down, Rukawa-kun… I haven't," she took his hand into her own. Deep inside she knew it was a white lie.

"I really… didn't mean to…" She smiled at him as she let go of his hand.

Sendoh flopped onto his bed after his warm shower. He wanted to pull his blanket and sleep but something had been bothering him since the next half of practice. His heart gave him the easiest answer… Nayami. He remembered when they first saw each other at the roof of the old office building and how it bloomed into an unlikely friendship.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_"Hurry… they'll catch up!" he heard his gang leader shout as they started jumping from building to building. It was easy since they were all built up close. Sendoh turned back to see the gang that was chasing them. They were all big and blurry except for one, a longhaired someone with a small body. _

_"Sendoh, abunai!" someone shouted as he felt something swish pass him. It was a two-by-four that had landed in front of him._

'They're getting serious…'_ Sendoh thought as the gang jumped onto another building. _'We're going to run out of buildings soon.' 

_"Minna, disperse! Get yourselves out of here!" his ringleader shouted. Getting the idea, the gang had run to the roof staircase and hurriedly went down. Sendoh knew that the other gang was expecting this, as there was so little of them. He glanced around, looking for a way to get out of there without climbing down that staircase. His eyes fell upon a grappling hook, probably left by the window cleaners. He looked down to see a landing on the second floor of the building. Surely from there he could jump down and run. Grinning, he picked it up and hooked it to the side and began abseiling down. _

_"MATTE!!" he heard someone shout. Looking up, he saw the longhaired person, realizing it was a girl. _

'What's a girl doing with this gang?'_ he thought as he went down faster. Finally, he reached the landing, jumped off and ran down the street, into the direction of his house. Finally, he made it in. His mind still on the girl, he tore off his clothes and took a shower._

_"Don't bother with her, Sendoh," the ringleader went, lighting a cigarette. He offered one to Sendoh but he declined. He couldn't bring himself to smoke. _

_"Why? She's not… attached, is she?" he asked, looking around. The gang had been able to escape and was meeting at another one of their hideouts._

_"She's called Nayami the Butterfly… she's pretty and powerful. I give you that. She can rough up guys so bad, half of them still in the hospital."_

_"Nayami ka?" he mumbled._

_The meeting was finally over and that left Sendoh with other things to do… like the girl, Nayami. _

'Weirdly, she's all I think about… well, I'm only fifteen, why can't I start thinking of girls?'_ Sendoh gave himself a mental shrug as he walked past the basketball court. _

_"Pass! Pass!" Shouted one of the boys, waving at his teammate. Sendoh stood at the fence that covered around the court, watching the game. The boy who shouted had black hair and beautiful shining, slightly foxy, blue eyes. _

'Basketball… maybe, when I finally get out of this mess… I'll play that.' _He smiled as he started walking down the pavement again. He took merely two steps before stopping again, this time noticing that a light brown haired girl was watching the game. _'Nayami… what is she doing here?'_ He shook his head and walked passed her when she grabbed his arm._

_"You're not getting away this time," she went, her eyes not leaving the game._

_"I don't want to get into trouble here," he said, not moving. Her hand squeezed his arm tight. "I'm sorry but I know who you are, where you come from and what school you're from… There's a lot more than just info, by the way," he smirked._

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"You're exactly like me… you want out. You're sick and tired of this… And it's finally came to you that something else is beckoning you…" At that, she finally gazed into his sparkling blue eyes._

_"Who are you to act like you know me?"_

_"I'm not… I'm just telling you a fact that's in all our faces. You're fifteen like me, right? Next year, you want a different life from running after or from immature gangsters. Are you going to make your new life or stick to this pathetic one?" He waited for a reply from her. She just stared back at him._

_"I don't know…" She shook her head," I don't know what you're talking about!"_

_"Then why are you watching them play? You miss that life of being a normal junior high girl with your crushes and giggling over boys, don't you?"_

_"I joined the gangs to get away from that! You're telling me I miss it?"_

_"I see it in your eyes… Like the first time I saw you. It was easy to spot," he whispered, looking deep into her ocher eyes, which was full of uncertainty._

_"You're mental," she mumbled turning back to the game._

_"Maybe… at least we're the same, right? A couple of gangsters who really want a better life," he said, nonchalantly before walking away from her._

_"What's your name?" she asked. Sendoh stopped, looked at her and smiled._

_"Sendoh Akira, you?"_

_"Kitagawa Nayami," she went, a smile crept to her face. Sendoh nodded before walking again._

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

Nayami woke up late the next day, it being a Saturday and all. She yawned as she stretched herself before her mind settled on her dream.

_'Why am I suddenly dreaming about my past? Why is it that Sendoh's always in my mind now?'_ She fought her thoughts back to wherever it belonged at that moment. She slowly climbed out of her bed and pulled the string that drew the curtains apart. The morning rays welcomed her, hugging her with warmth.

"Ohaiyo," she muttered to herself, scanning the area below. Her apartment had a very clear view of the basketball court near her place. For now it was empty, not until she filled it with her own court plays. At that, she turned away from the window and went to shower.

The ball circled the rim of the hoop before going in. Nayami ran to fetch it and began dribbling it again. Her eyes never leaving her imaginary opponent before she dodged it and dunked into the hoop. 

"That was great," she heard someone say from behind her. She whirled to see a boy in front of her. Judging by his shirt and shorts, he was also planning to use the court.

"Who are you?" She went, eyeing him suspiciously. Being an ex-gangster, she kept herself alert at all times. The boy grinned pathetically before running his hand through his spiked, blue tipped, short hair. 

"Gomen, maybe I shouldn't make comments before introducing myself. I'm Mitsui Hisashi, you are?" he held out his hand. She looked at it before considering. He was a nice guy and all he did was complimented her.

"Kitagawa Nayami," she said before shaking his hand. 

"So that's you're name… I've always wondered who was this fine lady," he flashed his 75-watt smile. Nayami felt her cheek burning. At this moment, Mitsui was very cute.

"A-arigatou, Mitsui-san…" she mumbled. 

"I'm just telling the truth… Speaking of truths, I would like to confess about something. I always noticed you come here every Saturday. So I started to come here and watch you play…" Mitsui dipped his head down. Nayami felt her cheeks turn redder. This nice guy had been coming here watching her play…

"I'm not really good at it but can I have a game with you, Nayami-san?" Nayami blinked a few times before nodding as her answer as she was too shocked to speak. Mitsui smiled at her again, his blue eyes sparkling.

"Arigatou…"

The game was fun. Contrary to what Mitsui had said, he was a good player, Nayami noticed. She also noticed that his shooting form [which was so cool, she added mentally] was very familiar.

"Mitsui-san," she started to say as she wiped her sweat with her towel," do you play for a team?" Mitsui who was also wiping his sweat looked at her for a while before giving her a smirk.

"Maybe," he answered, shrugging.

"Mitsui-san, you look familiar and you're name sound familiar too. I think I heard during the play-offs for Inter High…" Mitsui, who was taking a drink from his bottle, choked. When he looked at her again, she was grinning, pointing her finger at him like a gun.

"I'm right, am I?"

"You finally caught on…" He muttered.

"What do you mean 'finally'?!" She stomped her foot like a little girl getting angry.

"I mean what I said," Mitsui smirked," why don't you guess?"

"You're in a basketball team! And I know it isn't Ryonan because I'm from there and it is in the final four, am I right?" She held up two fingers at him.

"What makes you think I'm in the final four?"

"Because I went to watch the final four matches only," she pointed out. Mitsui mouthed an 'oh'.

"Okay, you still have three teams," Mitsui went, sitting down.

"Hmm… it isn't Kainan…"

"What makes you think I'm not from Kainan?!"

"Because Kiyota-san's an old school friend and he blabbered to me about his beloved sempais when I met him," she reasoned.

"Okay…" Mitsui creased his eyebrows.

"And that other team… which I completely forgot its name, sucked. They got into the final four by luck. So you definitely don't belong there…" She rubbed her chin," Shohoku's the only one left. You're from Shohoku, Mitsui Hisashi…" She faced him.

"Omedetou," Mitsui went, clapping his hands," you got it."

"That means you know Rukawa-san…"

"Rukawa's a friend of yours?" He eyed her with disbelief.

"Yeah, met him during the games actually," she went as she packed her stuff.

"Sou ka? I didn't know that he had friends… He doesn't seem to have much of friends."

"He doesn't have much of anything…" She mumbled.

"Nani?" Mitsui went, bewildered.

"Iya… Betsuni…" she smiled at him, sweatdropping. Mitsui took her word for it.

"Nayami-san… would you like to get grab something to eat?" Mitsui suddenly asked. Nayami felt her cheeks burn unexpectedly.

"H-Hai… Mitsui-san…"


	2. Part 2

STEAK, CAKE OR ICE CREAM?

**Part 2: Revelations**

"Ohaiyo," Nayami greeted, entering her class. She was greeted with more good mornings as she took her seat.

"Nayami-san," Koshino came up to her," there's a note from your coach. She asked me to pass it to you." Nayami took the note and thanked him. She opened it.

_'Practice as usual at the sports utility hall. We will be holding our practice sessions from now on. Inform the rest. ~Signed~ Hinori-sensei'_

_'Great,'_ Nayami thought, _'just what I needed… more Sendoh…'_ She sighed as she glanced behind. Sendoh had been coming to class earlier than usual. And now he was seating at his seat, flipping through his English textbook. At that moment, he looked up and their eyes met. Nayami blushed before turning to the front. _'What is wrong with me?'_

_"What's wrong with her?'_ Sendoh thought, glancing at Nayami at the basketball court. She was having a game between her girls. She kept on glancing at Sendoh's direction, Sendoh noticed. He shook his head. _'Nah… there's no way…'_ He passed the ball to Fukuda, and then glanced back at her. Their eyes met again, for the sixth time during practice. It was an awkward moment for him as his insides churned. It was Koshino who snapped him out of his trance, pointing out that Taoka-sensei was glaring at him. He grinned and got back to his own game.

Everyone went back except for the two captains who had to stay back to check and lock up everything. Nayami walked down the girls' locker room, checking each an every shower. After a thorough inspection, she came out, carrying her bag, and locked the room.

"Done?" Sendoh asked from behind her, making he jump.

"Sendoh-san! Don't do that!" She shouted at him, nearly pelting him with her bag.

"Gomen…" he grinned pathetically. Nayami imparted the key at him. 

"Jya' ne…" She turned to walk away.

"Nayami-san, matte…" Sendoh said, stopping her. He took a deep breath before facing her.

"Nani, Sendoh-san?" She asked softly, her eyes filled with concern.

"I-I…" he stammered. Nayami gave him a confused look.

"What is it?"

"I-I… I think you should know… t-that…"

"You think I should know what? Sendoh-san, if you're not going to tell me I'm leaving!" At that, she began walking away when Sendoh did an unpredictable thing. He grabbed her by the arm, made her face him and kissed her. Shocked, Nayami couldn't do anything but let him take her… until…

"Iya!" She screamed, pushing him away," Sendoh-san… I can't… we can't…"

"Nayami-san… I like you ever since the day I met you. I acted the way I did to hide it but now… I can't." But Nayami could only shake her head, her mind spinning. Sendoh lifted her chin, forcing them to make eye contact," I can't hide the way I feel about you." Sendoh searched her amber eyes for an answer. Nayami only turned away.

"I can't… Gomen," she went, running off, leaving Sendoh to make something of her actions and her words.

_'First Rukawa, now Sendoh…' _Nayami thought as she walked home. _'Why can't I just have a friend that doesn't have feelings for me?'_ Her mind quickly raced to Mitsui, who had been quite the friend lately. _'Maybe if I told him this, he'll help me sort it out. But it's strange to tell a boy about a girl's problems,'_ she giggled. She wondered what Mitsui would say… 

_'It's worse for me if I have to choose between the three of them… I do like them a lot. Mitsui-san is a nice guy and he's been a great shoulder to lean on, Sendoh-san… when I met him, he was serious about helping me getting a normal life… And Rukawa-san…" _She felt her cheeks turn redder than ever. Nayami knew that she had a big problem to clear before Inter High. 

The ball went through the hoop. Instead of picking it up, Nayami watched it bounce, gradually turning to smaller bounces then just slowly roll to someone's feet. 

"Bee in your bonnet?" Nayami looked up to see Mitsui smiling at her.

"Mitsui-san!" she exclaimed.

"What's up? You look like your going to face dragons during Inter High…" Nayami smiled at that.

"Iya… I'm facing emotional trauma, to put it lightly," she went, giving him a sad smile. Mitsui returned it with a warmer smile.

"I see… Wanna share?" Nayami gave Mitsui an odd look. His soft expression made her feel like talking for some reason. Maybe it was the tension or the confusion in her head or maybe it was Mitsui. Whatever the reason she found herself sitting at the bench with Mitsui, telling him about Rukawa and Sendoh, even though deep inside she knew she shouldn't.

"I don't know what to do right now. Why is it so hard… for me?" she asked, in a soft whisper.

"You're confused… You don't know your own feelings. Sort them out then you'll be able to make decisions," Mitsui answered, his blue eyes gleaming.

"Why me?" she muttered.

"Why not?" Mitsui smirked at her," you're beautiful, strong willed, independent, understanding and smart… I'd be lying if I didn't say I like you too…e…to…" A red line formed at the bridge of Mitsui's nose. 

"Nani?" Nayami asked, blinking at him," did you say that you… you like me?" She felt her cheeks turn a light shade of pink at the last three words.

"I did… I told you I'd be lying if I didn't like you, Nayami-san…"

"You too, huh?" She pouted before letting out a sigh.

"But you already have problems sorting out your feelings, so I don't want to meddle…" Nayami shook her head.

"At least… you stuck to me like a friend, Mitsui-san. Arigatou." Mitsui smiled at her.

"I'll always be your friend, Nayami-san, whatever your decision."

"Hai… I think I'll go sort myself out the only way I know," she declared.

"Oh… and how is that?" Nayami just winked at him.

"I'm not telling you!" She tapped at his nose, making him blush even redder than before.

"Nayami-san…" He swatted her hand off.

"I don't see a problem on their part, Nayami," Mitsuki pointed out as she chopped potatoes," All they did was tell you their sincere, honest feelings about you." Nayami had invited her best friend to dinner, provided she helped out with the cooking. The two had been talking about Nayami's current problem.

"But still…" Nayami tried to counter with something when she started blushing again.

"Sou da na… You can't choose between Rukawa, Sendoh and Mitsui, right?" Mitsuki teased. Nayami was as red as the tomato she was dicing. 

"Urusai~! I-I…"

"Nani? Is this the determined, unshaken-under-pressure captain I know?" Mitsuki smirked.

"That's different… this is…"

"Maa~… it's easy, all you have to do is pick either steak, cake or ice cream."

"Steak, cake or ice cream?" Mitsuki nodded.

"Let's say Rukawa is steak, Sendoh is cake and Mitsui is ice cream. You like all three of those but if you eat all three, you'll get a stomachache. So, pick the one you like the most and share the rest."

"Easier said than done," Nayami said, disheartened.

"Iya… it's easy if you know your own feelings. You're problem is that you're afraid of hurting the other once you decided…"

"Wakatta da yo," Nayami sighed," Finish chopping that and let's cook this." She smiled at Mitsuki.

_'It's been a while since I came here,'_ Nayami thought, standing at the bottom of a steep stairway to a temple. She started climbing. _'This place is the perfect sanctuary to clear my mind and heart. Good thing, I told only Mitsuki where I was going…'_

It took her five minutes to climb to the temple. She greeted the priest and handed some offerings to him. Soon after, she found herself sitting at the altar. She stared at the statue of Buddha. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and placed her palms together. _'Kami-sama… I really need to make a choice before I lose all three of them… and I really would like to win Inter High.'_ She started mumbling 'steak, cake or ice cream' in a mantra that made her fall asleep and her stomach rumble.

Meanwhile…

"Mitsuki-san… thanks for actually staying back to do this," Koshino went as he pulled down the old decorations of the basketball club's notice board.

"Daijobou, I don't mind at all. It's a specialty of mine," she winked at him, making the boy blush.

"I wish Sendoh would hurry up with getting the new decorations…" He muttered. In a few minutes, the spiky haired boy came running through the halls, halting exactly in front of Mitsuki.

"Mitsuki-san-call-Nayami-now-Rukawa-something-happened-pant-pant…" He managed out in between catching his breath.

"What are you talking about, Sendoh?" Koshino asked, giving his an odd look as Mitsuki took out her hand phone. 

"Nayami's not at home…" Mitsuki went as she hung up the phone moments later," Damn… she's at the temple…" 

"Koshino, clear up the place and meet us at the Nagata Hospital. Mitsuki-san, you and I are going to fetch Nayami… We've got no time to complain… this matters a lot to Nayami."

"Hai!"

Mitsui paced the waiting room while Ryota was talking on his cell to Ayako. Anzai-sensei was filling up Rukawa's particulars at the desk. Kogure, Akagi and Haruko arrived moments later with worried looks on their faces. Youhei was staring out the window. His shirt was covered with blood but he didn't bother.

"Youhei-kun… what happened?" Haruko asked. Youhei turned to her with a serious look on his face and shook his head. Kogure went up to Mitsui.

"What's wrong?" he asked his friend.

"Nothing… I'm just… worried," Mitsui muttered as he looked up to Kogure.

"Sit down… you're making everyone more anxious," Kogure pushed him down onto a chair.

"How far is this temple?" Sendoh asked, looking around as the scenery changed. The two took a cab to the temple.

"It's in the outskirts," Mitsuki answered, sighing.

"Uso!"

"Daijobou… we'll be able to reach there in about fifteen minutes," Mitsuki assured him," I've been there once. Ne, Sendoh-san, what happened to Rukawa?"

"He got into an accident…"

"Accident?" Sendoh nodded.

"I met with Ryota and Mitsui on my way to the arts shop. They were in a rush. They said they were going to the hospital. Youhei phoned them saying that Rukawa met an accident while riding his bike. Apparently, he was going to work when he saw it. He didn't know how to reach Rukawa's house and he doesn't know Anzai-sensei so he called Sakuragi who gave Ryota's cell phone number. He called him and told him the whole story and asked him to call Anzai-sensei to the hospital. Rukawa's in A&E unit right now, bleeding badly. I think he suffered a concussion…"

"Sonna…"

"That's why I have to get to Nayami…" Sendoh went, his eyes flashed his determination.

"AAAAH~! How could I fall asleep?! I never figured out anything!" Nayami moaned as she wore her shoes. _'I need my concentration for Inter High… Not to figure this thing out during it…'_ Sighing, she started climbing down the stairs.

"NAYAMI! MATTE!!" The Ryonan Girl's Captain looked up to see Sendoh running up towards her.

"Sendoh-san?! What are you doing here?? How did you know--?!" Sendoh cut her off. He carried her and started climbing down the stairs. She turned red.

"I'll explain later!!"

_'What's Sendoh-san doing?! Masaka!! Is he going to force me to marry him?! IYADA!!!'_ She started struggling.

"HANASE!! Put me down!! NOW!!"

"Stop struggling!! This is a matter of life and death… On Rukawa's part!!" Sendoh went as he raced down the stairs.

"Nani?!" Nayami stopped struggling and gave Sendoh a confused look.

_'Nayami-san… Hayaku… If you're not here…' _Mitsui thought looking out the window where Youhei had never budged, _'you'll never find your answer.'_

"What are you thinking about?" The slick haired boy finally opened his mouth.

"Someone's well-being…" Mitsui answered.

"Sou ka?"

"A girl… And her final choices…"

"Huh?" Youhei gave the Shohoku three-pointer a confused look.

"You'll understand…" He smiled at the boy instead," you should get changed, Youhei-kun…" Mitsui pointed at his bloodied shirt.

"Hai…" He looked down on the stains on his shirt. _'Mitsui-san… did you just call me, Youhei-kun?'_

By the time Nayami, Sendoh and Mitsuki reached the hospital, half of the Shohoku basketball team had gathered outside the operation theatre.

"Mitsui-san!" Nayami shouted, coming up to him.

"Nayami-san…" Mitsui looked down at the worried girl.

"Finally, you guys came…" Koshino muttered.

"Gomen ne… She was hard to find…" Mitsuki pointed out, making Koshino sigh. Sendoh just sweatdropped.

"Mitsui-san… how is he?" Mitsui wished he could look away form those concerned amber eyes. Not able to answer, he shook his head. "Sonna… What… what's taking him so long? Why is it…?" A hand fell onto her shoulder. It belonged to Kogure.

"Daijobou… Rukawa isn't the type to give up…" He said calmly," take a sit and relax." Nayami just nodded and sat down beside Sendoh. Mitsui sat down next to her. None of them spoke. Nayami looked around, too anxious to be concerned on whom the others are.

"Ne… Kogure-san… who is she?" Haruko suddenly asked. Kogure sweatdropped.

"Ah… She's Rukawa's friend. Apparently, she from Ryonan and she knows Mitsui-san too…" The bespectacled boy explained. Haruko, despite her own worry, flashed a jealous look on her face.

"How close are they?" she asked. Kogure just shrugged but from the look on Nayami's face, it was obvious they were very close. And, of course, Haruko noticed that. But all she answered was a very strained," sou ka?" Everything was silent then till the doctor came out from the operation theatre. Everyone rushed to him but Nayami was the first to reach him.

"Sensei… how is he? Is Rukawa-san going to be okay? Will he…?" The doctor raised his hand to stop her.

"Rukawa suffered from a concussion, three broken ribs and a dislocated arm… he'll be out of action for a few months. Other than that, he's fine. No internal damage found." There was a wave of relief as murmur broke out in the group.

"But… But he'll need lots of rest. Since his family's not present at the moment as I was informed, the one closest to him will be able to see him. Obviously, it's you, young lady," the doctor looked at Nayami, who blushed.

"H-hai…" The doctor smiled, for the first time, at her.

"Out of curiosity, are you his girlfriend?" The girl in question turned deep red.

"SENSEI! C-C-Chigau! I'm just a good friend of Rukawa-san, that's all!"

"Almost sensei, almost," Sendoh laughed, winking at her. 

"Sendoh-san!"

"Why are you so shy about it, Nayami-san?" Mitsui grinned.

"Mitsui-san!" Everyone else, with the exception of Haruko, who was still jealous, laughed their tensions away.

Light entered his unfocused eyes as he slowly opened it. Rukawa looked around, realizing he was in a hospital room. He tried to sit up when pain hit him. A pair of hands pushed him lightly on the bed.

"Don't move… The anesthetic's wearing off," the familiar voice went. Rukawa looked up to see Nayami smiling at him.

"Nayami-san… what…?" Her finger gently pressed against his lips.

"You need the rest, Rukawa-san," she said, brushing off his concerns. Rukawa just watched her as she adjusted his bed for him and covered him with the blanket. "Comfortable?" Rukawa nodded. Nayami smiled at him before backing off a bit, realizing they were very close. Rukawa used his good arm to grab her hand, stopping her.

"Sumimasen, Nayami-san…" Nayami felt her cheeks burn

"Wha-? Why are apologizing?"

"For making you worry…"

"Daijobou… I care for you, that's why I worry about you, Rukawa-san," she replied.

"Sou ka?" Rukawa mumbled, letting her hand go.

"Hai…" She nodded, blushing. It was a while before Nayami spoke again. "Rukawa-san, is it okay if… if I call you Kaede-san?" She paused for a while before adding," if you don't want me to, it's fine!" Rukawa stared at her before giving her one of his rare smiles.

"On one condition… you call me Kaede-KUN," he said, still smiling.

"Hai, Kaede-kun! Arigatou," she smiled at him back. 

"Why?"

"For--!!" At that moment, Mitsui and Sendoh burst through the door, talking and laughing loudly.

"Rukawa!! You're awake! Good! Good!" Sendoh held up a few plastic bags of obento," you can help us finish this!"

"We didn't know what you like, so we ended up buying a lot of food," Mitsui scratched the back of his head, sweatdropping. Nayami giggled.

"You guys didn't have to…" Rukawa started saying, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Heiki, heiki… We're all pals, right?" Sendoh winked at him.

"Pals?" Rukawa questioned, bewildered.

"Right, pals…" Mitsui smiled at him. The pale boy turned from Nayami to Mitsui to Sendoh.

"Pals…" Rukawa repeated, in a more understanding tone.

"Okay! Now we eat! Ladies first so Nayami you pick!" Sendoh laid all the lunchboxes on a nearby table.

"Hai, hai," Nayami answered, going over to Sendoh.


	3. Part 3

Hello, minna-san! Welcome to part three of my fic! First of all, I apologize that I took a long time to write this part. I've been working on my secret superb fic that I plan to release hopefully once I finish this one [winks]. I've been soooooooooooo busy because of this fic, the special other one and all my other stuff. I just got two novels that I haven't read from my friend and school's starting soon and I haven't got my books, a new bag and clothes! ARGH! And my boyfriend's bugging me to go out with him! DOUBLE ARGH!!! [Bangs head against wall and dies from over-stress] @_@; 

[Resurrects herself] Before I continue, I'd like to thank the reviewers who read this really stupid fic. Arigatou!

Also, I like to clear that Mitsui never called Youhei [or anybody from the Sakuragi Gundan] by name, less calling him 'Youhei-kun'.

Next, I hate ALL the Rukawa fan-girls [ESPECIALLY HARUKO, for playing Hanamichi-kun] in the Slam Dunk Realm. 

Note: This fic is supposed to make Rukawa not be as cold as he is… In other words, he has a heart. Also, Sendoh's a pervert and Mitsui's smart. 

STEAK, CAKE OR ICE CREAM?

**Part 3: Understandings And Misunderstandings**

It had been a few weeks since Rukawa's accident. Many people visited him, most of them from his idiotic UNOFFICIAL fan club, which gave the nurses a hard time since there were a lot of them. His team members visited him as well, giving him well wishes and bringing food. To him, it felt awkwardly comforting since he had never experience this warmth before. Never in his life he felt people do care about him. Nayami had stuck by him most of the time when he couldn't think of anything to say or when he didn't know what to do. Sendoh and Mitsui had also stayed behind, keeping him company and helping him with some of his schoolwork that was sent to him daily, thanks to Haruko. Now, he had his World History homework spread out on his bed.

"Okay… 'Recall the events that brought the term 'Bloody Sunday' to the Russian Calendar'…" Rukawa looked up to the other two boys. 

"A Russian butcher shop on a Sunday?" Sendoh grinned pathetically at him. Rukawa gave him a look. Mitsui sighed.

"A peaceful demonstration from the peasants…" he started explaining. The younger boys had got to know that Mitsui was a whiz at History, World and Japanese. 

_'I can thank Nayami-san and this accident for this… I wouldn't have known this or anything else about them.'_ Rukawa hid a small smile as he noted down what Mitsui said. Minutes later, Nayami and Haruko burst through the door, both panting as though they were running.

"Rukawa-kun! I got your homework!" Haruko announced, handing the stack of papers to him.

"Hn." Rukawa answered in his normal demeanor. 

"Kaede-kun, your mail," Nayami smiled at him, passing the letters to him. Rukawa looked up and said, "You didn't have to do this everyday, Nayami-san." 

"Iya, I insist…" Nayami reassured, blushing," I'll even get your homework for you, if you want me too." She shot Haruko a look, hoping she would back off. But Haruko just returned the glare.

"Haruko-san… you should get back home," Mitsui started, feeling the tension between the two girls," Your brother's a bit of a worrywart, you won't hear the end of it if you were late."

"Uh… hai," Haruko mumbled, a bit reluctant to go so soon.

"I'll see you out," Sendoh offered as he stood up. The two left.

"I hate her," Nayami stated with a huff. 

"Haruko?" Rukawa mumbled dumbly.

"Never mess with a woman's scorn," Mitsui warned him.

"Nanda to?!" Mitsui backed away from Nayami. "I wish she never come by everyday! It's annoying! Today, she deliberately closed the elevator door on me, just to get here first! I had to take the stairs! I reached here just in time…" Rukawa leaned closer to Mitsui, when Nayami went out the room.

"What was she talking about?" Mitsui sweatdropped. 

_'He can't be that dense, can he?'_ The ex-gangster thought slightly shocked. "Let's just say she feels some competition with Haruko around," Mitsui explained.

"Competition? Over what?" Mitsui sighed, giving up. Just in time, Sendoh came into the ward.

"Haruko's a bit jealous," he announced, having the receiving end to the girl's complaints. Mitsui sighed again.

"Guys, we have a war in our hands," Mitsui finally said, "and we should stay out of it." Sendoh nodded whilst Rukawa gave them a confused look.

"Huh?" Sendoh was taken aback by Rukawa's clueless act. 

"Is he for real?" The spiked haired boy turned to Mitsui, creasing his eyebrows. Mitsui just sighed.

The doctor was giving Rukawa a check up. As usual, the three waited outside. Nayami was scribbling some tactics in her notebook. Her Inter High was in about a week's time, so her mind was trekking to her upcoming games. Good thing too, since she was in a foul mood because of Haruko's [and maybe the Rukawa fan girls] appearances. Mitsui glanced over at her. But Sendoh had something else preoccupied in his mind.

"Is it just me or Rukawa's parents are the only people that haven't turned up yet?" The two looked at him. 

"Yeah…" Mitsui realized.

"If my mom got wind that I was in an accident, she'll rush here so fast--" 

"They're not coming," Nayami revealed, cutting Sendoh. 

"Wanna spill why? I know you know the reason," Mitsui gave her a look that she found comforting. She sighed.

"Kaede-kun's mom died when he was still in junior high and his dad… is always on business trips. I don't think he knows that Kaede-kun is in the hospital now…" Nayami's eyes were now staring at the hospital wall. 

"Rukawa's alone… That's why…" Sendoh suddenly muttered. Mitsui gave him a quizzical look. Sendoh just smiled at him. Nayami looked up, her eyes meeting Sendoh's blue eyes. Mitsui thought for a while, when he finally understood.

"Rukawa never understood… love of any kind. He never got it why friends are loyal," Mitsui mumbled.

"You can see it when you play against him," Sendoh explained," you can see it in his eyes. Without knowing things like this, he could never play with the passion that we know…"

"The love of the game," Mitsui added. Sendoh nodded.

"It was obsession," Sendoh said, sitting down," he played like he was possessed. It was scary when I looked into his eyes for the first time. I wondered why though…"

"That's why he shunned the cheers of others. The reason of his selfishness… I forgot about it when I played against him…"

"You saw it too, huh?" The two boys watched Nayami clench her hands. 

"Nayami-san…"

"I remembered when I met him for the first time after the Kainan game…"

"You guys met? I thought that was set up by your girl friends or something…" Sendoh noted, bewildered. He got pummeled as a result.

"What happened?"

"You know… when I saw him on fire, I was scared."

"Fighting against him is scary too…" 

"I guess… It was then that I wanted to talk to him," Nayami went, remembering the day she met Rukawa.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_"Nayami-san, aren't you going?" Mitsuki called out to her best friend. She and the other girls were leaving after watching the Kainan-Shohoku match. Nayami shook her head._

_"Iya… you guys go first. I'm waiting for my friend. You know, that Kainan boy…"_

_"Sou ka? Waiting for your date? Is that why you called us here?" Chiharu teased. The other girls giggled._

_"Chigau! He's just an old school friend!" Nayami yelled," it's none of your business anyway!"_

_"Hai, hai… Mattaku, our captain can be soooo touché at times," Chiharu shrugged as she led the other girls off._

_"You sure you want to wait for Kiyota-kun yourself?" Mitsuki asked, concerned. _

_"I'm not waiting for Kiyota-kun… It's that Shohoku boy, number 11… I have to talk to him," she answered. Mitsuki smiled at her._

_"There's something about him, right?"_

_"Sou… I guess you know me too well," Nayami sighed. _

_"Iya… I still need to get to know you better," Mitsuki shrugged before walking to the direction of the girls. Nayami watched her go._

_It was a while before she heard the Shohoku team walking towards her direction. She had been sitting down at the lounge, drinking a juice box. She watched them pass by and spotted the fox eyed boy, trailing at the back. Almost running, she reached out and tapped his shoulder. He turned and faced her._

_"Nani?" He asked, coldly. Nayami was frozen at the spot when he stared at her._

_"You're… cold," she muttered._

_"So? I don't think that's your business…" he answered back in the same cold tone._

_"Then why do you play?" That had caught Rukawa off guard, momentarily._

_"What is it to you?" he said softly._

_"I don't know… but you helped me once…" Rukawa turned away._

_"I don't even know you…"_

_"Then I'll make you know me. My name's Kitagawa Nayami," Nayami introduced herself. Rukawa examined her for a minute._

_"Why are you doing this?" he asked, slightly curious._

_"Because you need a friend," she answered back, smiling," what's your name?" Rukawa sighed._

_"Rukawa Kaede…"_

_The two of them settled to a steak house, because, despite herself, Nayami was starving. Rukawa was no different. They had practically cleared the whole menu of food together. While they were having dessert, Nayami's eyes never left Rukawa._

_"Nani?"_

_"It's been awhile since you sat with someone to eat, right?" Nayami pointed out. _

_"Yeah… I guess," Rukawa answered. It was true, even if his team went out to eat, he'll take a separate table from them._

_"Well, I saw you play and I thought you were kinda selfish. All you wanted was to win," Nayami said timidly, hoping that wouldn't anger Rukawa in any way._

_"Some people say that's a strong point…" Rukawa pointed out._

_"Some… not all, Rukawa… Others pass your bad habits because of your good looks."_

_"And that matters to you?"_

_"It does… You haven't changed since I watch you play in the courts. Still using your eyes to communicate. Open that mouth a little, will you?" She huffed._

_"I haven't talked this much to anybody for a while…"_

_"It's good if you did instead of glaring at them, your face might freeze," Nayami sighed before smiling at him. Rukawa just gave her a look. "I think it did."_

_"I heard that." Nayami giggled._

_"Gomen… It's just that… was funny," she stopped herself before smiling at him again._

_"Aa…"_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

"Nayami? Earth to Nayami…" Sendoh waved his hand in front of her face. She snapped out of it.

"Where did you drift off to?" Mitsui asked. Nayami blushed in return. The doctor who came out from the room door saved her.

"Rukawa looks fine… he can go home tomorrow," he announced before leaving. Nayami let out a sigh of relief. 

"That's great…" Sendoh smiled at her but Mitsui was giving her another look. It was almost like he didn't want Rukawa to leave the hospital. 

"Come on, we have to go… Let's tell Rukawa we're leaving…" he said, going into the room first.

It had been awhile since Nayami spent her afternoons in school for extra practices. She felt like staying to make up for her absence but her mind tugged to her concerns of Rukawa. Sendoh, of course, noticed that and reassured her that the boy was well taken cared of.

"Beside… your Inter High's around the corner…" Sendoh reminded her," the girls are counting on you." 

"Hai…" she agreed, sadly.

So she stayed, asking Sendoh to stay back so that she could practice more with him. 

"You're getting good," Sendoh commented as she managed to pass him without distractions. 

"No, I just found out your secret," she smiled, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"I guess…" Sendoh said, turning to her," Nayami-san…"

"Nani?"

"I want to apologize for what I did that day. I threw you off the track of your feelings towards Ru…"

"Sendoh-san… you didn't do anything wrong," she said, shaking her head," I was confused because I do like you and Mitsui and Rukawa… I just got to figure out who I love." Nayami smiled at him. Sendoh felt his cheeks burn.

"Aa… but there's something I have to warn you," Sendoh looked at her, gravely," be careful of Mitsui. He's the type of guy who'll do anything to get what he wants…"

"But…"

"As a friend, Nayami, listen to me for your sake…" Sendoh sighed. _'And for Rukawa's as well…'_ He added mentally watching Nayami walk away.

It was a Sunday again and boy, was it busy for Nayami. She had woken up late and now is late to meet the three guys on her special 'date'. Actually, she wanted someone to go with her to get new basketball shoes and she didn't want to favor one guy… So…

"Usoi," Mitsui gave her a disappointed look as she ran to the meeting point. 

"G-Gomen…" she stammered. Then she noticed that Mitsui was alone.

"Where's Sendoh-san and Kaede-kun?"

"Later than you," Mitsui rolled his eyes, sighing," let's get some ice cream while waiting for them?" He gestured to the ice cream stand nearby.

"Chocolate for me!" Nayami shouted her choice of flavor.

"Hai, hai…"

_'I don't believe I'm late!'_ Sendoh thought running to the park they were supposed to meet. He could hear what Nayami would say to him. He was so concentrated on running that he didn't notice the black haired boy running beside him until he saw the cast.

"Rukawa?! You're late too?!"

"Urusai," was the curt answer from the boy.

"I think you should walk…"

"I think you should watch out for the lamppost." Sure enough, Sendoh narrowly escaped from smashing into a lamppost. 

"Okay then… we'll go with your decision," Sendoh muttered, running side by side with the boy.

"Here," Mitsui handed Nayami her ice cream. 

"Arigatou," she thanked him, taking her cone. The both of them ate quietly for a while. Nayami found herself staring at Mitsui, taking note of his features.  

"They're really late…" Mitsui suddenly spoke up, which caused Nayami miss licking her ice cream from utter shock. Now, her cheek was not only red, but had bits of her dessert on her face. Mitsui shook his head before licking it off her, making her face turn completely red. She noticed just how close Mitsui was to her and Mitsui did too as he kissed her. Mitsui actions made her drop her ice cream. Also, she was completely astounded and she was not the only one. Upon hearing a gasp, the two looked up, seeing Rukawa and Sendoh with shocked expressions on their faces.

"Kaede-kun!" Nayami gasped, pushing Mitsui off her. Rukawa just shook his head and ran off from there.

"Oi! Rukawa!" Sendoh called out, missing to grab his arm.

"Kaede-kun!" Nayami cried. She was about to go after him when she felt someone tugging at her hand. She turned to realize it was Mitsui who had discarded his ice cream and had both hands on her arm. "Mitsui-san, hanase!" Mitsui just shook his head.

"I won't let go if you're going after him," Mitsui muttered. Nayami just tugged at him but Mitsui's vice-like grip was no match.

"Let her go, Mitsui…" Sendoh went, prying his hands off her.

"Forget about him, Nayami-san. He doesn't deserve you…" Mitsui said, slightly pleading. Hearing his last line, Nayami slapped him out of anger. That made Mitsui let go of her arm.

"Nayami-san…" Sendoh exclaimed.

"What do you what he deserves? I thought you understood…" she mumbled before running off to search for Rukawa. Mitsui now had his hand on his cheek where Nayami had slapped him.

"I think you deserved that," Sendoh smirked at him. Mitsui returned it with his own.

"I guess… I shouldn't have left things to my impulses," Mitsui sighed, rubbing the red cheek.

"Think she might wake up?" Sendoh asked. Mitsui shrugged.

"You think she and Rukawa will forgive me?" Sendoh gave that a thought. 

"If she finds him first," was his answer, smiling.

-------------------------------------------------

KNK: Yea! Despite the shortness, the third chappy done! [Throws confetti with her pink turtle Gyu-chan]

Gyu-chan: Gyu! Gyu!

KNK: Minna-san, I hope I didn't disappoint you but it's pretty obvious who Nayami-chan is going for, ne? ^_^ Tonikaku, it's still fun to hear your complaints and compliments… So review, onegai! And watch out for the hopefully ending chapter called **Together Forever………??**


	4. Part 4 Final Chapter

STEAK, CAKE OR ICE CREAM?

**Part 4: Together Forever………………??**

Rukawa didn't know why he ran but he did. He felt the ache in his heart when he saw Nayami and Mitsui kissing. But why was he running? Where could he go? He looked around to find himself at the park behind his house. _'What am I doing here?'_ He remembered this was where he told Nayami that he liked her. He had feelings for her and she told him that… she didn't understand hers. _'So wait… she said…it's obvious now that she has feelings for somebody else,'_ he thought bitterly, fighting back the tears he had longed to but never wanted to shed. He felt the pain in his heart again and how used to it he was.

"Kaede-kun!" Nayami shouted, looking for the boy high and low. She found herself at the entrance of another park altogether. She remembered that this was where… fate had led Rukawa have feelings in his life for once. _'Kaede-kun…'_ She ran into the park, hoping that he was there.

He sat and watched the couples walk pass him. _'Happy looks on their faces… I've always wondered why they would be…'_ Rukawa thought, feeling low. He struggled to swallow down the ache in his throat for a while now. He never felt this bad, even when his mom died. Not wanting to understand why, he shook his head. _'What am I waiting for? Why am I still here?'_ As if to answer his questions, two hands rested on his shoulders. He turned to see Nayami's face and glowered.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, frigidly.

"I-I…" Nayami stuttered, feeling slightly hurt by his sudden coldness.

"Why aren't you with Mitsui?"

"Because… I…"

"You picked him, right?"

"No! I didn't pick anyone! And if you're going to keep on pressing me with your selfish words I won't! I'll keep this limbo until all of you tire out!" She shouted at him, feeling the frustration of her problem finally rising. Rukawa stood up, facing her.

"You don't care about any of us. You're just happy that you got the three of us at your beck and call…"

"You think I asked for this?! I never thought I'd hear that from you! I thought you'd understand!"

"I don't," Rukawa retorted, " and I thought maybe you did."

"About what?! I understood what you were going through. Everything you told me about yourself, your life… you… And I wanted you to understand me for a change!" 

"Why do I have to?" Rukawa glared at her, angry at her selfishness.

"Because I love you!!" Nayami blushed at hearing her own words that instant.

"You what?" Rukawa asked, his anger fading off, only to be replaced by the curiosity and hope.

"I-I… love you…" she said the last two words with understanding and shyly looked up into Rukawa's blue eyes. 

"Nayami-san…" He hugged her with his good arm. Nayami understood everything. Despite her words, she cared for Rukawa the most. The reason she backed off from Sendoh, rushed to the hospital, her jealousy towards all those fan girls, slapped Mitsui…

"Kaede-kun… I… I'm sorry," she said, burying her face in his chest as she felt the tears falling to her cheeks," I didn't want to hurt you or Sendoh or Mitsui but I ended up hurting the three of you. I'm sorry…" He gently pushed her chin with his finger, making her ocher eyes meet his sapphire orbs. His lips pressed against her in a soft kiss. She closed her eyes and felt warmth surrounding her. _'Kaede-kun…'_ Finally, she was in bliss and so was Rukawa.  

"Inter High will be in a three days so we need all the energy we have," Nayami went, looking at her girls, tired from their practice," there's morning practice tomorrow and light training the day after that. Make sure you girls drink plenty of water and get rest, okay?"

"Hai!" The girls agreed, as they dismissed themselves. Nayami turned to grab her bag when she spotted it in the hands of Sendoh.

"Sendoh-san… What are you doing here?"

"Sending you home… It's kinda late for girls to be out alone," he stated.

"And you think I can't take care of myself?" Nayami crossed her arms.

"No… but I wanted to talk to you about something," he went.

The night breeze was refreshing as it touched her screen. Nayami closed her eyes, letting the cool wind stroke her body. She took in a deep breath before turning to her companion.

"So what's up? And please don't tell me it's about you." Sendoh shook his head.

"I just wanted you to know about Mitsui," he went. Nayami's face flickered a sudden detestation.

"What about him?" she muttered, not able to hide her anger. Sendoh knew that she couldn't really forgive him for his rash actions.

"I guess I don't need to remind you about recent events but there's a reason for it all," Sendoh said calmly, watching Nayami's sudden change from angry to curiosity. _'I can watch this girl forever and still be fascinated by the way her face shows her emotions.'_ Sendoh sighed inwardly, knowing that it was Nayami's specialty. '_She doesn't even know her own feelings and everybody knows it already.'_ Sendoh smiled before continuing, "Mitsui and I knew that we had no chance between you and Rukawa so we just fuelled it up till you realized on your own. He had a feeling that you won't forgive him for acting that way but you needed to know…"

"So you guys threw me off track on purpose?" 

"Kinda… but the thing is Mitsui still wants to be your friend. He promised you, remember?" It was the last line that made Nayami recall Mitsui's promise. 

"Sendoh-san, I have to…" At that, Sendoh pulled out his cell phone and waved it just above her reach.

"Sendoh-san, give it to me!"

"Say you love me!"

"Nanda to?! I love Kaede-kun, not you! Now, give it!" At that, she jumped and grabbed it from his hand. She quickly dialed Mitsui's number as she stuck her tongue out at Sendoh who grinned.  

Mitsui stepped into the school with a smile the next day. Who wouldn't when a storm had passed? _'Okay, half a storm but it will pass soon…'_ he thought as he spotted a crop of raven hair in the midst of the students. Nayami told him that the best way to straighten things out with Rukawa was to confront him. So he raced to the boy, knocking down some people in the process, and tapped Rukawa's shoulder.

"Nani?" Rukawa asked, whispering, without turning.

"I'm sorry that I kissed your girl but I had to wake her up so that she sees whom she really loves," Mitsui explained before running off. Rukawa turned and saw Mitsui's fleeting back. 

"Thank you," he muttered, smiling inwardly.

"We've got great seats," Sendoh commented as he and Mitsui watched the Ryonan girls have their fifteen-minute warm-up practice. The girls Inter High had arrived and Ryonan was having their first match with Tsukubu High. 

"You'd think he'd at least come early?" Mitsui huffed. 

"He did… he was here with me but then… he left for a while…" Sendoh explained, looking around.

"That's weird…" Mitsui muttered.

"Yeah… Rukawa wouldn't just run off…" 

"No, no… Nayami-san's not there," Mitsui pointed out. It was true. The captain for Ryonan basketball team was not there at all.

"Kaede-kun…" Nayami whispered as she tried to wiggle out of his grasp. But Rukawa was a bit too fast for her and he kissed her again. This time she pushed him off and shook her head. "Now's not the time…" She was cut off with another planted kiss on her lips. It was a good thing that the locker room was supposed to be locked up by her. Rukawa hugged her from the back and started nibbling at her ear.

"Can't I give a good luck kiss before the match started?" he teased, making her blush. 

"Yes… but that wasn't only a kiss… You're squeezing groping time altogether…" she smirked, gently putting away his arms from her. "I've got a match to win…"

"They say endorphins are good for your everyday workout…" Rukawa muttered.

"Its endorphins are good FROM your everyday workout. I can get endorphins from the match… let me warm up at least…" not giving her another minute, Rukawa kissed her again. This time, it was a definite last as he made it quick and brought her out to the court. 

It was without a few minutes to spare. Ryonan High had the lead up by fifty points, by no doubt. 

"Mitsuki!" Nayami shouted passing to her. Mitsuki caught it before passing to Chiharu, who executed a three pointer with ease. The Tsukubu girls had already given up. It was obvious that their spirits were gone. The buzzer sounded and the Ryonan High girls cheered. They had bagged their first game. Nayami smiled, looking up. Mitsui and Sendoh were waving at her. She waved back and spotted her raven haired, one-armed boyfriend. She smiled and punched the air, her salute to victory. 


End file.
